Kennedy Space Center, USA | November 24, 2025
NASA has successfully achieved a critical milestone for the Artemis II mission, the first crewed journey to the Moon’s vicinity in over 50 years. The Orion crew module, complete with its European Service Module (ESM), has been fully integrated and stacked atop the colossal Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building.
This final stacking operation brings the rocket to its full height and signifies that all major flight hardware is ready for final testing. The four-person crew—comprising three NASA astronauts and one CSA astronaut—is currently engaged in integrated simulations and procedure reviews ahead of the mission, which is officially targeted for launch in early 2026.
